Greetings Dear Foodies!
I presume if you are here reading this, you already are a fan of the lip-smacking eats that Swaad Kitchen offers. Their food is cooked with passion, mixed and stirred with fresh authentic spices and served with pure love and affection. And keeping up with this tradition, Swaad Kitchen is gearing up to serve you with some divine, delicious treats. Yeah, you guessed it right! Thatâs because the king of Indian festivals, Diwali, is just around the corner and celebrating Diwali without sweets and savories is like life without Social media these daysđ
Every Diwali, Swaad Kitchen, the brainchild of a Maharashtrian chef, offers authentic goodies originally from their home state back in India. So donât delay and order your share of yummy and spicy chiwda and chakli; sweet and crispy anarse, shankarpare and many other such traditional varieties. Their Weekend Chaat Corner, you may know, is a smash hit, where they offer some interesting snacks to make your weekend more enjoyable and relaxed. And on the popular demand of their ardent food fans, they soon plan to start a weekend breakfast menu consisting of unique dishes. So keep watching this space for more details.
In America, most of the non desi population by now knows that Diwali is a big thing for Indians. It is an eclectic mix of the major American holidays. It has the thrill of fireworks of the 4th of July, food and family time like Thanksgiving and the dazzle of lights and gifts like Christmas!
And the desis of Amreeka, take everything to the next level when it comes to commemoration of both Indian and American festivities and holidays. As soon as Diwali nears, we are busy planning, throwing and attending Diwali parties among our various circles, where, of course, the essence of festivity lies mainly in the extensive spread of delicious food!
With a cohesive mix of desis in the U.S, we sure are lucky to savor the conventional delicacies from almost all the Indian states. We get to taste the Sandesh of Kolkata, the crispy murukkus of Tamilnadu, the rich and creamy Mysore pak from Karnataka and Kaju katlis of Delhi..... the list is endless! (and while writing this, my mouth just watering so, excuse me folks, Iâm gonna have to eat something sweet right away for sure now đ)
Even though we may not be able to solemnize Diwali like past years, we can still make it memorable and merrier in our own different ways. Though this year, most of us may choose to opt out of visiting the crowded local Diwali Melas and other community events and celebrations (if at all they are happening!) But what we can still carry on doing is to arrange digital celebrations with folks in India, attend and organize the customary Taash and dress-up parties and potlucks with close friends, where again, food will remain to be the foremost focus đ
Since most of us were not able to visit India in the summers, we may have to shop for new ethnic wears for us and our kids from the local desi shops or from the exclusive desiwear websites.
This year also the Diwali shopping may infuse much needed đ˛đ˛greens into the economy (like every other year in fact). Even though the âas good as newâ sherwani or Kurta pyjama set from last year hangs and collects dust in the closet, we have to buy the latest Indian wear especially for our kids (who have luckily outgrown last yearâs size! Thank God for that đ)
We all know, most of our teenage kids just despise wearing them and donât want to be seen in them. But we calmly, or not so calmly, force them to get into those âcostumeâ clothes (as per them) then drag them with us to the numerous Diwali get togethers. So from this year on, let them just be! And especially if they dislike wearing Indianwear, let them happily adorn their cool casual clothes so that they are more comfortable and more than glad to join us beamingly for the get-together.
Most of the time, they eat at the gatherings and then just sit aside busy chatting or playing on their handheld devices. They are not interested in the old, alien Hindi song antaksharis or the Hindi movie charades game their parents play when they come together. But for the first generation Indians, the spirit of Diwali lies in eating, dancing to Bollywood songs, playing the good old Antakshari and Teen Patti, dressing up in exquisite jewelry and dresses and decking up the homes with rangoli and diyas.
From this year on, letâs try to be more creative and think of unique ways and ideas to involve these kids with us more than ever before in such gatherings. Letâs make this a time for familial and friendly bonding and great cheer!
So dear friends, the time of the year is here for us to get into the true feeling and fortitude of the great Indian festival.
And even though this year we may not be highly spirited or zesty to get into really intensive celebrations, but some level of celebrations are needed now more than ever to lift our dull spirits to give ourselves and our loved ones a reassurance for a brighter tomorrow and a hope for a virus (fear) free world sooner for all!
I am sure this remarkable year, you are gonna celebrate Diwali with an innovational fervor and frenzy, both virtually and physically, with your close ones and well within the ânew normals.â
Signing off for now...
See u soon!
Till then ...
Eat, love and pray đ. and
May safe and healthy you stay!
â¨đĽHave a fabulous DIWALI đĽâ¨
âď¸ÂŠď¸Vandana Oke
Nov.2020
About The Author Blogger
A warm welcome to my cozy corner of Swaad Kitchen.
This is Vandana Oke, born and brought up in âMeri Delhi,Meri Shaan.â I lived in California for over a decade , then moved to Pune, Maharashtra for some years and now residing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the past four years.
Over these years, I have learnt to live life as it comes with each passing day. I am right now enjoying my journey from being a teacher by profession to a writer by chance and now a blogger by choice.....
This blog is basically about everything under the sun...good food and fond memories and dear moments of childhood, happy and sad times with loved ones, friends and family.
Hope to see u here regularly.
Vandana Oke